The Why Book
of Sailing

by Scott Welty

Sailors know that Nature’s forces affect the boat and its surroundings in countless ways. This book examines these laws and how they come to bear on the sailboat, with intriguing, surprising, and entertaining answers to such questions as:

Why does it get ever harder to make your sailboat go ever faster?

Why are golf balls dimpled but hulls are smooth?

Why do boats float higher in salt water?

Why are tsunamis nearly undetectable at sea?

... and many more. The Why Book of Sailing takes the helm to look at everything from vectors to leverage, the physics of floating and the science of navigation, the laws of electricity, optics, waves and more, in a book that will intrigue and delight sailors.